1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an improved solar water heater of the type primarily intended for use in heating water wherein the improvement comprises specifically configured intake and exhaust manifold means utilized to control the flow of water through a plurality of solar heater panels disposed in fluid communicating relation between said intake and exhaust manifolds.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Man has long recognized the value of the sun as a source of heat, and as a result of his recognition has constructed various devices for "capturing" the sun's thermal energy to perform useful work. One such class of devices may be referred to generally as solar water heaters wherein the sun's rays are collected in such fashion so as to heat a body or a stream of water.
One of the earliest of such solar water heaters is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 659,540. That patent discloses an apparatus wherein the sun's thermal energy is utilized to vaporize a liquid, and the resulting vapor pressure is transformed into a mechanical work force. Somewhat less sophosticated devices used solely for heating water are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 966,070, 1,802,635, and 2,358,476. Of course, with the recent increase in public awareness and interest in sources of natural energy, there has been a corresponding increase in the research and development of solar heating devices.
However, the result of this increased research and development has often times been a solar heating structure which is so complicated in both its construction and operation as to be economically unfeasible. Of particular note is the fact that most solar water heaters comprise a heat exchanger section including an extremely long series of tubes through which the water passes as the tubes are exposed to the sun's rays. Not only are these long tubes expensive, but also they are quite susceptible to leakage, necessarily resulting in decreased efficiency of the heater. Another problem commonly associated with solar water heaters is that of controlling the flow of water through the heat exchanger section at a rate that will provide sufficient heating while at the same time prevent overheating which could result in rupturing the heater.
The common problems outlined above have heretofore been solved by the use of various valving mechanisms, many of which are actually temperature-operated. That is to say, the flow of water through the solar heater is controlled by selectively opening and closing various valves in response to predetermined atmospheric and water conditions. It should be obvious that such sophisticated valving mechanisms are complicated and therefore significantly affect the cost of solar water heaters. Additionally, because of their complicated construction, they must be very carefully maintained to insure their proper operation. This maintenance requirement further increases the cost of operating and maintaining solar water heaters. It is accordingly obvious that there is great need in the art for a solar water heater of extremely simple construction wherein the flow of water through the heat exchanger may be controlled without the necessity of installing sundry valving mechanisms. In addition, such a water heater should include a heat exchanger section wherein the area of water exposed to the sun's rays is maximized.